FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

PR00-010

Contact:

Date:

Sergeant Clarence Huber

May 3, 2000

(404) 730-4148

Fulton Sheriff's Department Awarded National Law Enforcement Accreditation

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) awarded the Fulton County Sheriff's Department national accreditation on March 25, 2000. After several years of intensive preparation, Sheriff Jacquelyn H. Barrett and her department have met the requirements of a highly-regarded and broadly recognized body of law enforcement standards. Sheriff Barrett and members of her command staff were on hand to accept the honor at a special ceremony held in Las Vegas.

In preparing for accreditation, the Fulton County Sheriff's Department had to satisfactorily complete a thorough, agency-wide self-evaluation. Compliance of set standards were verified through an outside review, conducted by an independent team of assessors. To receive accreditation, the Fulton County Sheriff's Department had to successfully meet three hundred and sixty (360) standards, adopted by the Commission. The assessment team monitored compliance of these standards during an on-site review in January.

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies was formed in 1979 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriff's Association, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and the Police Executive Research Forum.

Having achieved accreditation, the Fulton County Sheriff's Department has demonstrated it's commitment and ability to meet a rigorous set of professional law enforcement standards. During the next three (3) years, the department will be required to submit annual reports to the Commission to verify compliance with these standards. The department will undergo another review in 2003. The Fulton County Sheriff s Department is the largest law enforcement organization in Georgia to receive accreditation, and one of only four Sheriff's Departments in the state to receive this honor.

For more information, please contact Sergeant Clarence Huber at (404) 730-4148.